Dr William Dance
@williamdance.bsky.social
Expert in disinformation, social media, and online safety | Senior BBC Policy Advisor @ DCMS | Previously: Senior Researcher at Lancaster University | Also run @fakebelieveblog.bsky.social. Contact: [email protected]
Had a fantastic week in Montignac-Lascaux to celebrate completing my PhD 🇫🇷
Enjoyed canoeing 20km of the Vézère river, visiting Montignac’s Distillerie de l’Òrt, and soaking up the French sun ☀️
Enjoyed canoeing 20km of the Vézère river, visiting Montignac’s Distillerie de l’Òrt, and soaking up the French sun ☀️
May 30, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Had a fantastic week in Montignac-Lascaux to celebrate completing my PhD 🇫🇷
Enjoyed canoeing 20km of the Vézère river, visiting Montignac’s Distillerie de l’Òrt, and soaking up the French sun ☀️
Enjoyed canoeing 20km of the Vézère river, visiting Montignac’s Distillerie de l’Òrt, and soaking up the French sun ☀️
Delighted to announce that I’ll be starting as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Media and International Directorate in the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)!
I’ll be working on BBC policy, including the upcoming BBC Charter Review, and I’m looking forward to helping shape UK media policy.
I’ll be working on BBC policy, including the upcoming BBC Charter Review, and I’m looking forward to helping shape UK media policy.
May 22, 2025 at 6:31 AM
Delighted to announce that I’ll be starting as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Media and International Directorate in the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)!
I’ll be working on BBC policy, including the upcoming BBC Charter Review, and I’m looking forward to helping shape UK media policy.
I’ll be working on BBC policy, including the upcoming BBC Charter Review, and I’m looking forward to helping shape UK media policy.
Reposted by Dr William Dance
This has been the best day. 🤩
Happy to say that today I passed my PhD viva with no corrections at Lancaster University!
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
May 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
This has been the best day. 🤩
Reposted by Dr William Dance
I had the pleasure and privilege to be external examiner for williamdance.bsky.social PhD on Disinformation discourses seen through corpora. Thanks William for an engaging read and a brilliant discussion today. And congratulations Dr Dance! drclaireh.bsky.social @lancslinguistics.bsky.social
May 15, 2025 at 1:52 PM
I had the pleasure and privilege to be external examiner for williamdance.bsky.social PhD on Disinformation discourses seen through corpora. Thanks William for an engaging read and a brilliant discussion today. And congratulations Dr Dance! drclaireh.bsky.social @lancslinguistics.bsky.social
Happy to say that today I passed my PhD viva with no corrections at Lancaster University!
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
May 15, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Happy to say that today I passed my PhD viva with no corrections at Lancaster University!
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
Thanks to @journolinguist.bsky.social and @karinpt.bsky.social for being fantastic external and internal examiners, and to my supervisor @drclaireh.bsky.social for helping me get here.
New from me 🚨
“Disinformation and Algorithms: Amplification, Reception and Correction”
I contribute to the theory around disinformation and misinformation studies and then carry out a corpus-based analysis of the use of tokens like ‘disinformation’ on Twitter.
www.cambridge.org/universitypr...
“Disinformation and Algorithms: Amplification, Reception and Correction”
I contribute to the theory around disinformation and misinformation studies and then carry out a corpus-based analysis of the use of tokens like ‘disinformation’ on Twitter.
www.cambridge.org/universitypr...
May 7, 2025 at 2:29 PM
New from me 🚨
“Disinformation and Algorithms: Amplification, Reception and Correction”
I contribute to the theory around disinformation and misinformation studies and then carry out a corpus-based analysis of the use of tokens like ‘disinformation’ on Twitter.
www.cambridge.org/universitypr...
“Disinformation and Algorithms: Amplification, Reception and Correction”
I contribute to the theory around disinformation and misinformation studies and then carry out a corpus-based analysis of the use of tokens like ‘disinformation’ on Twitter.
www.cambridge.org/universitypr...
Spotted a lot of April Fools’ Day activity from brands and organisations on social media yesterday.
Strikingly, the only one I encountered that didn’t use genAI images was this from the British Transport Police.
Shows another way in which genAI has become the first port of call for ease and cost.
Strikingly, the only one I encountered that didn’t use genAI images was this from the British Transport Police.
Shows another way in which genAI has become the first port of call for ease and cost.
April 2, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Spotted a lot of April Fools’ Day activity from brands and organisations on social media yesterday.
Strikingly, the only one I encountered that didn’t use genAI images was this from the British Transport Police.
Shows another way in which genAI has become the first port of call for ease and cost.
Strikingly, the only one I encountered that didn’t use genAI images was this from the British Transport Police.
Shows another way in which genAI has become the first port of call for ease and cost.
We’re experiencing an interesting phenomenon here:
There is a Pikachu-themed activist in the demonstrations in Türkiye, but the visual used here (and elsewhere) is AI generated. This blending of legitimate and fabricated content further complicates what people can believe online.
There is a Pikachu-themed activist in the demonstrations in Türkiye, but the visual used here (and elsewhere) is AI generated. This blending of legitimate and fabricated content further complicates what people can believe online.
March 28, 2025 at 9:58 AM
We’re experiencing an interesting phenomenon here:
There is a Pikachu-themed activist in the demonstrations in Türkiye, but the visual used here (and elsewhere) is AI generated. This blending of legitimate and fabricated content further complicates what people can believe online.
There is a Pikachu-themed activist in the demonstrations in Türkiye, but the visual used here (and elsewhere) is AI generated. This blending of legitimate and fabricated content further complicates what people can believe online.
New from me: ‘Corpus Linguistics and Social Media,’ to be published in print and online for the International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 3rd Edition in 2026.
For now, you can find it online here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
For now, you can find it online here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Corpus Linguistics and Social Media
Social media services are used by billions worldwide to share user-generated content. This content offers a vast array of insights to linguists intere…
www.sciencedirect.com
March 28, 2025 at 9:42 AM
New from me: ‘Corpus Linguistics and Social Media,’ to be published in print and online for the International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, 3rd Edition in 2026.
For now, you can find it online here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
For now, you can find it online here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dr William Dance
Another 'Questioning Vaccination Discourses' paper is out!
"‘It's a shot, not a vaccine like MMR’: A new type of vaccine-specific scepticism on Twitter/X during the COVID-19 pandemic" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
By @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social et al
"‘It's a shot, not a vaccine like MMR’: A new type of vaccine-specific scepticism on Twitter/X during the COVID-19 pandemic" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
By @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social et al
February 24, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Another 'Questioning Vaccination Discourses' paper is out!
"‘It's a shot, not a vaccine like MMR’: A new type of vaccine-specific scepticism on Twitter/X during the COVID-19 pandemic" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
By @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social et al
"‘It's a shot, not a vaccine like MMR’: A new type of vaccine-specific scepticism on Twitter/X during the COVID-19 pandemic" www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
By @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social et al
I talked about the social and technical factors that contribute to belief in celebrity misinformation to @theathletic.bsky.social/ @nytimes.com and how it’s often family members and people associated with celebrities who end up the targets of false information too. www.nytimes.com/athletic/613...
February 23, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I talked about the social and technical factors that contribute to belief in celebrity misinformation to @theathletic.bsky.social/ @nytimes.com and how it’s often family members and people associated with celebrities who end up the targets of false information too. www.nytimes.com/athletic/613...
Reposted by Dr William Dance
New open access paper by Questioning Vaccination Discourse (Quo VaDis) project team (www.lancaster.ac.uk/vaccination-...) on expressions of #vaccine #indecision on a parenting forum.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
‘I am still unsure…’ – Spontaneous expressions of vaccine indecision on Mumsnet
Vaccination programmes in 90% of countries in the world have been affected by ‘vaccine hesitancy’. Childhood vaccinations are particularly important. …
www.sciencedirect.com
February 3, 2025 at 10:12 AM
New open access paper by Questioning Vaccination Discourse (Quo VaDis) project team (www.lancaster.ac.uk/vaccination-...) on expressions of #vaccine #indecision on a parenting forum.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Dr William Dance
I suppose one way to start here is to share a new publication. Here it goes:
'‘I am still unsure’ - Spontaneous expressions of vaccine indecision on Mumsnet'
with @vaclavbrezina.bsky.social @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social @drclaireh.bsky.social et al.
#healthcomm #vaccinations
'‘I am still unsure’ - Spontaneous expressions of vaccine indecision on Mumsnet'
with @vaclavbrezina.bsky.social @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social @drclaireh.bsky.social et al.
#healthcomm #vaccinations
February 11, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I suppose one way to start here is to share a new publication. Here it goes:
'‘I am still unsure’ - Spontaneous expressions of vaccine indecision on Mumsnet'
with @vaclavbrezina.bsky.social @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social @drclaireh.bsky.social et al.
#healthcomm #vaccinations
'‘I am still unsure’ - Spontaneous expressions of vaccine indecision on Mumsnet'
with @vaclavbrezina.bsky.social @elenasemino.bsky.social @williamdance.bsky.social @drclaireh.bsky.social et al.
#healthcomm #vaccinations
I was just on BBC Radio Wales talking about Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement regarding moderation and fact checking on Meta platforms, and how he is embracing the ‘Musk approach’.
Here’s a clip and you can hear the full 6 minute interview on my blog: fakebelieve.blog/media-engage...
Here’s a clip and you can hear the full 6 minute interview on my blog: fakebelieve.blog/media-engage...
January 9, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I was just on BBC Radio Wales talking about Mark Zuckerberg’s recent announcement regarding moderation and fact checking on Meta platforms, and how he is embracing the ‘Musk approach’.
Here’s a clip and you can hear the full 6 minute interview on my blog: fakebelieve.blog/media-engage...
Here’s a clip and you can hear the full 6 minute interview on my blog: fakebelieve.blog/media-engage...
This is the most extraordinary statement I’ve ever seen from a social media executive.
There’s too much to unpack immediately, but the takeaway here is that Zuckerberg is doing what he *feels* is right, with no oversight, no real transparency, and with global impact.
about.fb.com/news/2025/01...
There’s too much to unpack immediately, but the takeaway here is that Zuckerberg is doing what he *feels* is right, with no oversight, no real transparency, and with global impact.
about.fb.com/news/2025/01...
More Speech and Fewer Mistakes | Meta
We're ending our third party fact checking program and moving to a Community Notes model.
about.fb.com
January 8, 2025 at 10:54 AM
This is the most extraordinary statement I’ve ever seen from a social media executive.
There’s too much to unpack immediately, but the takeaway here is that Zuckerberg is doing what he *feels* is right, with no oversight, no real transparency, and with global impact.
about.fb.com/news/2025/01...
There’s too much to unpack immediately, but the takeaway here is that Zuckerberg is doing what he *feels* is right, with no oversight, no real transparency, and with global impact.
about.fb.com/news/2025/01...
My blog FakeBelieve had its best ever year in 2024 with 3,151 visitors from 72 countries spanning 5 continents! 🌍
The top countries were the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines. I published 5 new posts with some new resources for adults and kids too.
Check it all out at: fakebelieve.blog
The top countries were the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines. I published 5 new posts with some new resources for adults and kids too.
Check it all out at: fakebelieve.blog
FakeBelieve - The Disinformation Research Blog
Disinformation Research Blog by William Dance
fakebelieve.blog
January 1, 2025 at 1:25 PM
My blog FakeBelieve had its best ever year in 2024 with 3,151 visitors from 72 countries spanning 5 continents! 🌍
The top countries were the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines. I published 5 new posts with some new resources for adults and kids too.
Check it all out at: fakebelieve.blog
The top countries were the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and the Philippines. I published 5 new posts with some new resources for adults and kids too.
Check it all out at: fakebelieve.blog
Here’s a simple explainer for kids on how to navigate and understand (dis)information online.
It teaches kids how to process information online, reiterating the specific things that they can do when on social media and the wider internet. #DigitalLiteracy
Find it at: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
It teaches kids how to process information online, reiterating the specific things that they can do when on social media and the wider internet. #DigitalLiteracy
Find it at: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
November 18, 2024 at 6:38 PM
Here’s a simple explainer for kids on how to navigate and understand (dis)information online.
It teaches kids how to process information online, reiterating the specific things that they can do when on social media and the wider internet. #DigitalLiteracy
Find it at: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
It teaches kids how to process information online, reiterating the specific things that they can do when on social media and the wider internet. #DigitalLiteracy
Find it at: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
I thought I'd make a new explainer for my blog
(@fakebelieveblog.bsky.social).
For this one l've focused on hostile-state information operations (HSIOs).
The explainer is available as a PNG or PDF from my blog as a whole, or as individual tiles, here: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
(@fakebelieveblog.bsky.social).
For this one l've focused on hostile-state information operations (HSIOs).
The explainer is available as a PNG or PDF from my blog as a whole, or as individual tiles, here: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
November 18, 2024 at 9:43 AM
I thought I'd make a new explainer for my blog
(@fakebelieveblog.bsky.social).
For this one l've focused on hostile-state information operations (HSIOs).
The explainer is available as a PNG or PDF from my blog as a whole, or as individual tiles, here: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
(@fakebelieveblog.bsky.social).
For this one l've focused on hostile-state information operations (HSIOs).
The explainer is available as a PNG or PDF from my blog as a whole, or as individual tiles, here: fakebelieve.blog/resources/
Reposted by Dr William Dance
In case you're interested in working on language & food with me at FU Berlin, check out this job ad for a (full-time) postdoc position: www.fu-berlin.de/universitaet...
(the ad is in German only but I guess auto translation is your friend) #LanguageAndFood #CulinaryLinguistics
(the ad is in German only but I guess auto translation is your friend) #LanguageAndFood #CulinaryLinguistics
PG- Postdoc_Vollzeitbeschäftigung
www.fu-berlin.de
November 12, 2024 at 8:47 AM
In case you're interested in working on language & food with me at FU Berlin, check out this job ad for a (full-time) postdoc position: www.fu-berlin.de/universitaet...
(the ad is in German only but I guess auto translation is your friend) #LanguageAndFood #CulinaryLinguistics
(the ad is in German only but I guess auto translation is your friend) #LanguageAndFood #CulinaryLinguistics
Reposted by Dr William Dance
The Washington Post has uncovered details of a $45 million initiative led by Elon Musk’s advisors that was aimed at using “misdirection” ads, often featuring false claims about Kamala Harris, to target Black, Jewish, Muslim, and other voter groups. (🔒) www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Inside the Republican false-flag effort to turn off Kamala Harris voters
A multi-pronged dark money effort by advisers to Elon Musk targeted liberals, Jews, Muslims and Black voters with ads that were not quite what they seemed.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 16, 2024 at 12:02 PM
The Washington Post has uncovered details of a $45 million initiative led by Elon Musk’s advisors that was aimed at using “misdirection” ads, often featuring false claims about Kamala Harris, to target Black, Jewish, Muslim, and other voter groups. (🔒) www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Dr William Dance
November 16, 2024 at 9:31 AM
Unlike X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, BlueSky allows users to input free text when reporting content on its platform.
At the moment it benefits from a relatively small user base (15 million) and therefore can handle safety better, but it’ll be interesting to see if this stays as it grows.
At the moment it benefits from a relatively small user base (15 million) and therefore can handle safety better, but it’ll be interesting to see if this stays as it grows.
November 15, 2024 at 5:15 PM
Unlike X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, BlueSky allows users to input free text when reporting content on its platform.
At the moment it benefits from a relatively small user base (15 million) and therefore can handle safety better, but it’ll be interesting to see if this stays as it grows.
At the moment it benefits from a relatively small user base (15 million) and therefore can handle safety better, but it’ll be interesting to see if this stays as it grows.
Reposted by Dr William Dance
If you’re interested in reading about some of the central concepts and issues surrounding disinformation and ‘fake news’, take a look at the FakeBelieve blog.
There are free-to-access research posts, case studies, and counter-disinformation resources.
More at: www.fakebelieve.blog
There are free-to-access research posts, case studies, and counter-disinformation resources.
More at: www.fakebelieve.blog
FakeBelieve - The Disinformation Research Blog
Disinformation Research Blog by William Dance
www.fakebelieve.blog
November 15, 2024 at 2:21 PM
If you’re interested in reading about some of the central concepts and issues surrounding disinformation and ‘fake news’, take a look at the FakeBelieve blog.
There are free-to-access research posts, case studies, and counter-disinformation resources.
More at: www.fakebelieve.blog
There are free-to-access research posts, case studies, and counter-disinformation resources.
More at: www.fakebelieve.blog
Next week (Weds 7th Feb, 1300-1400) we will be at @lshtm.bsky.social where we will be talking about the construction and analysis of our Victorian anti-vaccination discourse corpus ‘VicVaDis’.
The talk will be both in-person (London) and online: www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...
The talk will be both in-person (London) and online: www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...
VicVaDis: The Victorian Anti-Vaccination Discourse Corpus | LSHTM
Join us to hear about the design, construction, and possible uses of the 3.1-million-word Victorian Anti-Vaccine Discourse Corpus (‘VicVaDis’): a historical resource for the investigation of...
www.lshtm.ac.uk
January 30, 2024 at 5:41 PM
Next week (Weds 7th Feb, 1300-1400) we will be at @lshtm.bsky.social where we will be talking about the construction and analysis of our Victorian anti-vaccination discourse corpus ‘VicVaDis’.
The talk will be both in-person (London) and online: www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...
The talk will be both in-person (London) and online: www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/e...